Rotation transmitting means



July'l2, 1932. J. H. KING ROTATION TRANSMITTING MEANS Filed April 18, 1928 INVENTOR f7 Me/ ATTORNEY Patented July 12,1932 f y 1,365,714V

UNITED STAT-as PATENTQoFFICE Application filed April 187,' 1928. vSerial No. 270,905. I

My invention relates to mechanisms where-v loatable members betweenvv two rotatable in rotary motion is transmitted from one elemembers and form them so that the same ment or member to another. 1 will transmit rotation easily and smoothly e One of the objects of my invention isto either on a straight axis, or` on an angular 5 provide a simple, inexpensive, and Veiicient axis, or on a curved axis. Y

means of positively transmitting rotary mo- VQuite frequently it isdesirable'to reach a tion from one element to another; toarrange place quite inaccessible for usual tools, such andvform some ofthe elements so that they as tightening anut, drilling a hole, or varican be used either with a straight or with an ous other operations. My invention provides iu angular or with a curved or crooked housing a. means not only to reachsuch inaccessible 5;,

or with driving and driven members inl or places but to convey a positive rotative moout of alignment; and to form parts of some tion into such places. Y of the elements so Vthat the same can roll on In order to illustratemy invention,`I have each other similar to the action between gear, selected three structures, a-wrench devicel and Y,

teeth but in more than in one rotative plane. avdrillin Ldevice anda general utility device 60 Other objects will appear or become appareach em Vodying ymy invention' and have ent or obvious, or will suggestthemselves shown the same inthe accompanying drawupon an inspection of the accompanying ing and will describe the same herein in detail drawing and the herein following descripbut Such showing and descriptionis no t intion of the devices shown therein. vtended tonor does it constitute a limitation 65,.

In general practice, it isquite frequently of the application of my invention. e desirable that rotative motion be transmitlnthe accompanying yd rawing mentioned tible from one member rotatable on a definite above axis to another member rotatable on another Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a wrench de-v deiinite axis either angular with, or in alignvic-e, embodying myl invention, showing a 70 ment, or parallel with the other axis. straight line drive, partly in longitudinal Ill Such Cases it iS necessary that SOme SOI] section t0 show interior relations 0f parts.

of a flexible rotation transmitting means must Fig. 2 is aperspectivev side view of a drillbe interposed between the rotatable members. ing device, embodying my invention, showf" Flexible shafts have been used to effect ing an angle drive, partly in longitudinal 75 straight and angular and curved drives but Section t() Show interior relai-,ions of parts, such shafts neither drive the members posi- Fig 3 is transverse Ston Of'lrgltaken' tively nor can they be used for rotation transin 131mm indicated by the, line V3 l il', Figmlssmn purposes whenthe allglobetween the l and shows transverse relations of parts rotatable members is comparatlvely great; more Clearly. Y Y urthermorei tlhese flexible Sha-ft mea. have'. "Fim i is ya transverse section' of Fig.- 2 .or a Sify Shorlt we ngaare mi lgslcnilct 5takten' in aplane indicatedy by the line Lf-fl l niversa oins ve ee f w straight and lang'ular drives but such joints* n; Flgs Qiandl and Shpws transverse rela'tmns can not be used for rotation transmission ,o Egalts' e .i l

purposes when the angle between the rotat,` ,lg 71S a Perspectlv? VleW of fa" EIJI'V able members exceeds certain limits. Y utllty jdeYlQe.: embodylng my, mventlfma My inventionvovercomes these disa'dva-n- ShOWHlg l .dlsallgld Parallel llveg PUTYy tages by providing a. plurality of individual, 1I 1 lOIlgltLldlIll SQCYlQIl t0 ShOW 111501101" rela- 4 interacting and individually movable or tions of parts, v 00 SOl 'iii

' lar parts throughout the viewspeltllllgto,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the interacting driven member of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the individual interacting blocks of Fig. l.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the male individual interengaging blocks of Figs. 2 and 5.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the female individual interengaging blocks of Figs. 2 and 5.

Fig. 10 is a general perspective view of a tooth like: projection and a groene for" the same shows one development of'universal contacting surfaces between` projections and grooves. v ,j

Similar reference characters refer to simiand- 3:'

--, and the 'tootlr like" projection 116'- entendi-n g outwardly from the coll'ar.

The' member in the lpr sent instance thefY driving nuernberg' is shown the end 17 thereof 'ofurnale'dl in the member' 12'-,'- ofs'n'alll-y the member to provide lubiic'at'ion spacefed throughthe headerf 18 andclos'ed-bythe plug 19'7 with the bearing collar 2O ttingto the inside ofthe member on the: otherend,

' and'witliA thetooth like projection 5241it extends' ing outwardly fromZ the collar' 2U similar toV the" projection. 16.

The outer end ofl the member C' is` sliown withy the handle D whereby the member, C

can be rotatedf.- @ther rotatiI-igmeans7 suchas a; motor or other powermeans can be used as desired. j

The collarfQ/Q is shorwnpinne'dy tothe end 17 and' thereby confines theemember @longitudinally in the member A..

The collar 23-isf shownpmned tothe member Vl?, and thereby confinesl the member B1 longitudinally inthe member A..

Each of the individual members E," (.Fig. 7) three beingjshownin thepresent instance, isshown with, a tooth likeprojection 24,011 one end thereof, and a, grooi'fe 2`5`inntheothe'r' endthereof and staggered in re'lati'forrto the.

projection 24; both ends" tapered to permit 1 the members E to float in the member'A g"r the adjacent teeth and grooves interacting or interengaging each other as shown; each of the members E is unattached physically to any other member and is individual and can float individually.

Referring now particularly to Figs. Zand 4 of the drawing:

The housing is shown as a tubular member F, in this instance a piece of round tubing of convenient length, with the curved portion 26 and the portion 27 angular or out of alignment withthe main portionv of themember F.

--The journal bearings and collars are here .shown similar to. the corresponding members in Fig.' 1`.

The driving? member G is shown similar to the driving member C in Fig. 1 except that theinner endf thereof; has four teeth like projections 28 instead of the one projection show-n' onthe member C.

The driven: member is-shown/ similar to the driven memberfB except that the drill 29 isl iix'edf in one' end-l thereof` and t'he otherv end thereof has four teethv like projections 30 similar: to the `projections 28' instead Vof* the one projectionl shown on the member 'Bg- Intli-is instance--,L the' individuali members P and* l areshow-n-as ma-le andl female members (Figs.- 8 and4 9) each u'nattached 'andf physically noa-table asin Figa 1;

' naar @sehe members@ hasrour aan like f projections orl` members" 31 anddeachV of the members hasfour grooves 52I in each end tli'ereof ;1 the teeth andi-grooves interactingo`r' interengaging-'- as in' Fig.A 1f. l f

Referring now' particularly to Fig. 5 of the drawing '4 f The' housing is; shown Y as' a'L tubular member L, in this instance apiece ofy tubing of' con i venientf lengtlia having the curved portion 33 andalsdhavingf they endl portion 34' parallel with the portion 3'51.

The journal bea-rings a-ndcolla-rsl arehere shown sin-iila'rY to the` corresponding' members in Fig'. 1,. 4

' The dri "ng member' M is shown similar to'Jr tli'e driving member in Fig. 2,.Y The driven member N' is shown similar tothe driven member H in Fig.- 2 except that the outer end. thereof has the taper socket 36 toy receivetle- Shanks of varioustools or other devices". f

' The'indifvid-n-al members J and? K are here I shown. simila-r`- to* the corresponding members It' isunderstood that the housings arel of inflexible materia-l in the devices shown and" describ'edfsothat one end `of a device can be held inposition by takingv hold f of any otherpartf thereof.

Referring'now particularly a; Figs.. 6. 7;

contactay between the individual floatable' members and the driving and driven members in radial as well as in longitudinal directions when the interacting or interengaging members are axially either in alignment or angular with each other, I form the tooth like projections and the grooves for these projections as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. lO where the rolling or contact surfaces of the teeth are formed with the curvature 37 axially of the member and the curvature 38 transversely of the member and according to any particular or general need required by necessary angular relations between the individual members themselves and between these members and the driving and driven members.

The surfaces 39 and 40* of the grooves are formed in a manner similar to the surfaces on the teeth with the surface 39 curved axially of the member and the surface 40 curved transversely of the member and corresponding to the same and thereby attain a smooth and steady rotative movement between the driving and driven members when the same are either in or out of alignment with each other.

Vith the contacting surfaces of the axially interengaging members curved axially and transversely, the members position themselves axially in the housing even when the housing is curved and transmit rotation smoothly from one member to the next one.

I am aware that my invention can be applied to devices other than those shown and described and that changes can be made in the structures of the devices shown and described as well as in the structures and arrangements of elements shown and described within the scope of the appended claims therefore, without limiting myself to the precise application of my invention shown and described nor to the structure of the devices shown and described nor to the structure and arrangement shown and described.

I claim:

l. A rotation transmitting means including a curved tubular housing and individual axially interengaging rot-ation transmitting members rotatable in said housing and having the contacting surfaces thereof curved axially and transversely to form substantially spherically convex contacting surfaces for smooth transmission of rotation. Y

2. A rotation transmitting means including a tubular housing permanently Vcurved and individual axially interengaging rotation transmitting members rotatable in said housing and having the contacting surfaces thereof curved axially for axial alignment of said members in said housing and curved transversely for smooth transmission of rotation between said members. Y

3. A rotation transmitting means including a tubular housing and individual axially 'finterengaging male and female rotation tatable in one end of said housing, a driven memberwrotatable in the other end of said housing', and rotation transmitting members in said housing axially interengaging among themselves and with said driving and driven members; the contact surfaces between said' rotation transmitting and driving and driven members being curved axially and transversely.

5. A wrench including a tubular housing, a driving member rotatable in one end of said housing, a driven member rotatable in the other end of said housing and having a nut or bolt head engaging socket in the outer end thereof, and rotation transmitting members in said housing axially interengaging among themselves and with said driving and driven members; the Contact surfaces between said rotation transmitting and driving and driven members being curved axially and transversely.

6. A drilling device including a tubular housing, a driving member rotatable in one end of said housing, a driven member rotatable in the other end of said housing and having a drill in the outer end thereof, and rotation transmitting members in said housing axially interengagingamong themselves and with said driving and driven members; the contact surfaces between,v said rotation transmitting and driving and driven members being curved axially and transversely.

7. A device for rotating articles including a tubular housing, a driving member rotatable in one end of said housing, a driven member rotatable in the other end of said housing and having a socket in the outer end thereof for reception of Shanks on articles to be rotated, and rotation transmitting members in said housing axially interengaging among themselves and with said driving and driven members; the Contact surfaces between said rotation transmitting and driving'and driven members being curved axially and transversely.

8. A means of the character described including a tubular member, a driving member journaled in said tubular member and having an interengaging end, a driven member journaled in said tubular member and having an interengaging end, a plurality of individual members floatingly in said tubular member and interengaging among themselves and with said interengaging ends of said driving and driven members, and said interengaging parts being formed with axially and transversely curved contact surfaces universally rollable on each other.

9. A means of the character described including a tubular member, a pair of rotatable members vjournaled yin said tubular member out of valignment with each other yend each having an interengaging part on the inner end thereof, a plurality `of individual mem- '5 bers -loatingly in said tubular member and interengaging among themselves and 'with said interengaging ends of said driving and driven members, and said nterengagi-ng parte -loeing lformed with axially and trans- 10 versely curvedrcontaetsuraces universally rollable oneach other.

In testimony of the `foregoing I affix my signature. s A JOHN H. KING. 

